Railway-track construction.



' W. .WHIGHAM. RAILWAY TRACK CONSTRUCTION. 7 APPLICATION FILED DBO. 9, 1911; k 1 045 1 Q8 Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

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N w a o- Q u D L1 v M u Q WITNESSES VAIVMALENTOB W. WHIGHAM. RAILWAY TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 9, 1911. 1,045,108,

WITNESSES onrrnb sTA'iES PATENT .orrion WILLIAM WHIGHAM, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed December 9, 1911. Serial No. 664,780.

. way-Track Construct-ions, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to the construction -.of railway ties and the fastenings employed to secure the track rails in place on the ties of a railway track.

One object of m invention is to provide a rail fastening 0 novel construction having an improved arrangement of parts wherebythe rails are rigidly held against vertical and transverse movement on the rail seats of the ties and another object of this invention is to provide novel means for securing rails in place on the ties of a rail- Way track by the use of which free length- Wise movement of the track rails on the ties is afforded.

A further object of my invention is to provide a railway tie having. improvedmeans for maintaining the ties in place on the road bed of the railway track, and a still further object of the invention is to provide a railway track construction having improved means whereby the track rails are insulated from the railway ties and from each other.

Further objects of my invention will appear hereinafter as the invention is more ully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longltudinal side elevation showing an insulated railway tie having the track rails secured in place thereon and showing the rail, fastening forming part of this invention' as applied for use in securing the track rails to the ties. Fig. 2 is a plan of the up paratus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa sectional side elevation showing a detail, on an enlarged scale, of the tie and rail fastening as applied thereto, the track .rail being shown in sectional nd elevation. Fig. 4 is a sectional end elem-thin. on an enlarged scale, of the rail tie and rail fastening, the section bein taken on the irregular line lV-IV of ig. 3. Fig. 5 isa top plan and Fig. 6 is a side elevation,- on an enlarged scale, showin in detail the keepers by which the cruel? rai s are secured in place on tho Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

ties. Fig. 7 'isa sectional end elevation 01 the keepers shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail showing the relative position of the hook flanges and the keepers prior to the insertion of the keepers into place in fastening the track rails in position on the ties. J

In the drawings, A designates the rail tie having rail chairs B secured thereto beneath the track rail C, the tie plates 1) and the keepers E being employed to secure the rails C in place on therail chairs B in accordance wit-h my invention. in the con struction shown the track rails C and tie glates D are insulated from the rail ('llilll's and ties A by sheets of suitable insulating material F.

The tie A as shown is trough-shaped in cross section and has a base formed by the horizontal web. portion 2 which is intermediate of the vertically extendin flange portions 3, 3, which project upwardly from the top surface of the base and the horizontally extending base portions 4, 4. which project beyond the vertical flanges 3 on the outside of these. flanges so as to widen the base of the tie and provide a large bearing surface which contacts with the ballast of the road bed of the railway track. The flange extensions 4, 4, are made of a width and thickness which will transmit all loads put thereon to the road .bed Without any tendency to bend or curve upwardly around the root of the tie flanges at the intersection of the flanges 3 with .the base portions 4. The rail chairs B also are channel-shaped in cross section and have downwardly extending flanges 5, 5, projecting from two opposite marginal side edges of the integral horizontalweb member 6. The flanges 5 have short integral extensions 7 projecting upwardly above the top surface of the web member 6 so as to form a recessed soul for the tieplates D secured on the upper surface of the chairs B.

The outer surfaces of the taperingflanges 5. 5. on the rail chairs preferably are parallel and the inner faces of the vertically extending tapering flanges 3 on the tie also are made parallel. the over all width of the rail chairs B being such that the flanges 5 fit snugly between the parallel inner surfaces of the flanges 3 on the tie, the toes of the flanges 5 engaging .with the upper surface of the web member 2 of the tie. Rivets v 8101 equivalent fastening means are employed to rigidly secure the rail chairs tothe tie A.

The rail chairs B are provided with tie- 5 plates D. which are premanentl secured in to be straight or only partially bent when,

applied to the rail chairs are further ben and are caused to embrace and tightly engage the web member 6 of the rail chairs B,

member 6 being rounded to the same curva-i ture as on theinner sides of the recesses formed by the hook'flan'ges 10.

This construction is of particular value trically from the ties and rail chairs; In

the construction shown, sheets 12, 12, of

.vulcanized rubber, wood fiber or other in- 30 sulating, material are inserted between the opposing faces of the rail chairs B and the tie plates D.. Two opposite marginal side edges 13 of the insulating material :12 are 7 turned upwardly so as to be interposed between the inner surfaces of the flange extening part of the tie plate D. One marginal edge 14 of each piece 12 of insulation F is bent around the rou'ndededge on opposite sides of the web 6 of the rail chairs B so as to prevent the hooked flanges 10 on the tie plates having a metallic contact with the rail chairs B. Reference to the drawings will show that by this constructionthe rail chairs and ties are effectually insulated from the tie plates and rails and that the insulation is covered by the rail flanges, the keepers and the tie plates, was to be practically entirely protected fromthe weather by the metallic portions of the, track construction.

The insulating material being permanently secured in place needj-not be removed nor disturbed in adjusting the gage or in replacing thetrack rails on the rail ties. I ,JVhen it is not desired or is unnecessary to insulate the track rails from the tie the insulating material F is omitted, the hooked flanges 1O and the under surface of the web member 9 of the tie plates being'in direct contact with the rail chairs B. In such cases the hook flanges 11, 11, may be formed integral onthe rail chairs so as to dispense with the tie plates, or the tie plates may be 3.5 fastened tov thfi rail chairs by rivets or the contacting marginal, side edges of the in forming a tie construction in which the track rails and tie plates are insulated 'elec-' sion 7 in the rail chairs B and the adja-, cent marginal side edges of the web 9 formequivalent securing means so as to dispense A with thehook flanges 10, 10.

The upwardly and inwardly extending hooked flanges 11,-11, on the top surface of the tie plates are utilizedto secure and hold the keepers E in place onthe tie plates and in holdingengagement with the fiangesl5 l of. the track rails." The keepers E have lips 16 which engage with the marginal edges of 'the flanges l5 on the track rails in such manner that the track rails, while securely held against vertical and transverse or sidewise movement, are free to expand or move lengthwise on the rail ties. The kee'persp which have .parallelw faces between short tapered end portions 17 are grooved or provided with a depression 18 in their upper surfaces, the keepers being engaged by, the hooked flanges 11 and held in place thereby in a manner peculiar to and forming a novel. feature of this inventioin Proper drainage of the trough-shaped tie is provided for by the holes 19'located in the base at intervals in the length of the tie.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, one longitudinal side edge of the keepers is curved or rounded to conform with the curvature on the interior of the hook formed by the flanges 11, and the' keepers are lessened in thickness at the bottom of the depression' 18 in their upper surface which is engaged 'by the toe ormarginal side edge of the hook flanges 11. One s'ide'edge of the keepers has an overhanging lip 16 which' engages with the upper face of the flanges on the track rails.

Inconstructing the track the hook flanges 11 on the tie plates D are bent inwardly and downwardly toward the upper face of' the web portion 6 so that before the keepers E are driven into position to secure the rails in place on the ties, the vertical distance de-v fining the least width of -the under cut recess formed onthe tie plate" by the hook flanges 11 is somewhat less han the least thickness of the keepers ,E, a "d invinserting the keepers the toe ofthe flanges 11 must be sprung upwardly soas to tightly grasp and hold the keepers in position. Afterthe keepers are driven lengthwisein place 'thei1'15. corners of the hooked-flanges 11 will spring downwardly suificientlyto be approximately in contact with the, upper surfacesof the tapering end portions of the'keepers E, this downward springing of-the corner portions of the hook flanges serving to maintain the keepers in place after beinginserted;

The chairs-and tie plates are permanently secured .in place' on the ties in the shop and when used, the insulating material is also 1 25 permanently secured in place in the shop. x The ties, with the chairs and tie plates assembled thereon, later are placed in the road bed of the railway and the track rails are mounted on the tieplates. The keepers downwardly endwise movement of the keepers on the tie plates D is prevented.

When after being put into use in a railway track it becomes necessary to remove the keepers in replacing or adjusting the keepers of the track rails, the keepers are driven out of their seats on the rail chairs. Should, upon replacing the keepers, it be found they are not held with suflicient tightness by the hooked flanges 11, they are again removed and the toes of the flanges are bent downwardly slightly farther by striking with a sledge. .The keepers are then re-inserted and-in this Way the tie plates are readily made to compensate for slight irregularities in the thickness and contour of the keepers occurring in rolling or caused by wear occasioned by frequent removals from the tie plates.

The advantages of my invention will he apparentto those skilled in theart- By the use of the novel construct-ionforming my invention, a rail fastening is provided in which the use ofjoolts and nuts is avoided and made unnecessary. The track rails are securely held against vertical and sidewise movement, while permit-ting tree longitudinal movement of the rails on the ties.

ample bearing surface on the tie for engagement with the road bed of the railway track.

By placing ballast in the trough-shaped tie,

weight which is easily removed when necessary is added to thetie so as to more securely maintain the ties in place in the road bed. The rail securing means are firmly held in place and are easily and quickly removed in'making adjustments or renewalsmade without departing from myinvention as defined in the claims. I .claim:

1. In a railway track construction a rail tie having rail securing paired-hank flanges thereon, track rails extending between the hook flanges of. opposite pairs, and a rail keeper having oppositely tapering end portions and extending lengthwise between the rail flange and hook flange on the tie to' secure the rails on said tie, said keeper being clamped to the tie by the hook flange, the ends of said hook flange being inclined downwardly to engage the surfaces of the The peculiar cross section of the tics provides tapering end portions on said keeper in preventing lengthwise movement thereof.

2. In a railway track construction a ra tie, rail chairs secured thereto, a tie plate having hook flanges, track rails extending between opposite hook flanges on the tie plate, means engaging with the rail flanges and said hook flanges to secure the rails to the tie, means insulating the tie plate from the rail chair and tie, and hook flanges on the tie. plate engaging the rail chair to secure the tie plate thereon, said hook flanges securing the insulating means in place be tweenthe rail chair and tie plates.

3. In arailway track construction rail tie, rail-chairs secured. thereto, a tie plate having hook flanges, track rails extending between opposite hookflangcs ,on the tie plate, means engaging with the rail flanges and said hock flanges to secure the rails to thetie, and hook flanges'on' the tie plate engaging the rail chair to secure the tie plate thereon.

ii;- In a railway track construction the combination with: a tie having vertical flanges projecting upwardly from the tie base, rail chairs having vertical flangesprojecting downwardly from the horizontally extending webportionthereot, and means fastening said flanges togethe to secure the rail chairson the tie, of a tie plate having downwardly and inwardly extending flanges embracing the web of said chairs to secure the tie plate in'piace thereon, and means detachably securing the rails to said tie plate.

5. In a railway track construction the combination with a tie having vertical flanges projecting upwardly from the tie Jbase, railchairs having vertical flanges proecting downwardly from the horizontally extending web portion thereof, said flanges being fastened together to secure the rail chairs on thetie, of a tie plate having downwardly and inwardly. extending flanges embracing the web' of the chairs to secure the tie plate in'place thereon, means for insulating the rail chairs from the tie plate, and

meansdetachably securing the rails. to said tieplate, thin a railway track construction the "combination with a trough-shaped tie hav- 'with the web of the rail chairs to secure the tie plates in place thereon.

7. In' a railway track construction the combination with a trough-shaped tie having a base formed integral with vertically wardly extending flanges, said flanges being secured to the flanges on the rail ftie, a tie 1 combination with a trough-shaped tie having verticall shapedrail c airs having a horizontal web plate having integral oppositely projecting hook flanges on. the marginaledges ofa horizontal web, the downwardly projecting hook flanges on opposite edges of the tie plate being bent into clamping engagementwith the web of the rail chairs to secure the tie plates in place thereon, and keepers ex-' tending between the upwardly extending hook flanges on-the tie plate and the flanges of the rail toengage and detachably secure the railsin place thereon, said keepers being held in place by frictional engagement with the engaging hook, flanges on the tie plates. 8'. In a' railway track construction the combination with a trough-shaped 'tie having vertically extending flanges, troughshapedrail chairs having a horizontal web and downwardly extending flanges secured to the flanges of the rail tie, a tie plate having oppos tely projecting hook flanges onthe marginal edges of a horizontal web, the downwardly projecting hook flanges, on. op-

posite edges of the tie around the web of the rai chairs to'secure the tie plates in place thereon, and keepers plate being bent-= extendingbetween the upwardly extending hook flanges on the tie plate and the flange of the rail to engage and detachably secure the rails in place thereon, said keepers being held in place Icy-frictional engagement with the engaginghook flanges on the tie plates. v

9. In a .-rai1w'ay track construction the extending flanges, troughand downwardly extending flanges secured to the flanges of the rail tie, a tie plate havthereon, said keepers being held in place by frictional engagement with the engaging hook flanges on the tie plates, and insulating means between the iail chair and tie plate fastened in. place the downwardly extendi-nghook flan es on the tie plate.

In test-i nony w ereof, Ihave hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM WHIGHAM.

, -.Witnesses Y ENRY J. BAER, v FRANK STEDEFORD.

Ccples of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentl. Washington, D. 0. F v 

